DISMAYED Warrington fans are wanting to know just who is responsible for this great club's alarming fall from grace.

The pride-wounded Wolves head for Widnes on Sunday as a club in crisis - relegation is staring Warrington in the face. The club has just parted company with coach Dave Plange, Warrington's fourth boss in just over 18 months.

This was yet another setback for loyal Wolves supporters who are among the best in the land despite being starved of success for the best part of a decade.

Legendary figure Alex Murphy - the man who transformed Warrington's fortunes in the 1970s despairs seeing the Wolves precariously close to the foot of Super League.

Cult hero

Murphy, a cult hero during his time at Wilderspool says the fans deserve better.

He said: "I just wonder what the future holds for Warrington because they have under-achieved for far too long. They had a coach, Darryl Van der Velde, who put a five-year plan in operation aimed at greatness. Warrington were worse off at the end of it than they were at the start.''

The current Warrington team is in stark contrast to the formidable machine-like unit moulded and driven in battle by Murphy.

Visiting teams viewed their trip to Warrington with clear trepidation. - even the strongest of teams were lambs to the slaughter against what was an invincible line up. Nowadays, its Warrington who are forced into submission on home soil. Proof of this was seen in Plange's last game when a mediocre Castleford team hardly broke sweat in winning at Wilderspool.

Pride appears to have gone a long time ago and Murphy is not alone in his despair and disappointment at the club's current plight. What fans would give to turn the clock back to again see such high profile stars as wing ace John Bevan running in the tries.

Fading memories

Unfortunately it is not going to happen for the time being at least. The memories are fading with Jonathan Davies being the last big name star to really make his mark.

Last season saw Australian ace Allan Langer line up at scrum half. He played his socks off but those around him unfortunately weren't on the same wavelength and the little man ploughed a lone furrow before returning home. A squad of honest journeyman players recruited for the current campaign was never going to be good enough to meet the high speed demands of modern Super League. So it is proved.

Plange has failed and follows former performance director Steve Anderson in making an early exit with the job only half completed.

Despite the problems, fans remain passionately loyal but even they can only take so much. They do not want to suffer the indignity of seeing their club move to a new stadium and be condemned to a life in the Northern Ford Premiership.

Leigh chief executive Tommy Cunningham labels the NFP as poverty city - its his and his club's intention to get out - for Warrington it could well be their next port of call.